GUEST POST: Engage shares about the Active Dialogue Network on Gender and Diversity

Peace Exchange kicks off today with what will hopefully be the beginning of an ongoing series of ‘guest posts’ from the Peace it Together network.

Our first PiT network member blogger is Jale Canlibalik, a project manager for ENGAGE, who wanted to share on the progress of the Active Dialogue Network on Gender and Diversity, which met up this week at the Home for Cooperation.

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Jale Canlibalik: “There are so many issues in Cyprus that need to be addressed and we’ve only really begun to scratch the surface for many of them. It’s important that we go beyond opening up the dialogue between the two communities and really begin working together to identify and address some of these issues, advocate for policy changes and lobby lobby lobby to make these changes an institutional reality.

“It is with this in mind that the Engage project team have decided to launch four core Active Dialogue Networks (ADNs) within the framework of the new phase of our project (2011-2013). The four ADNs will focus on Peace & Reconciliation, CSO Profile & Enabling Environment, Sustainable Development and Gender and Diversity. Network participation will include cross sector groups, including representation from local authorities, the business and international communities in Cyprus, academia and civil society.

“On Monday, January 16, 2012, the Gender and Diversity ADN met at the Home for Cooperation with facilitators Ilke Dagli and Nadia Karayianni. The main aim of this particular meeting was to delve more deeply into some of the main issues that have come out of previous discussions with women.

“The issues ranged from creating an action plan for Cyprus that relates to the UN’s Security Council Resolution 1325, changing ‘maternity’ to ‘parental’ leave to be much more inclusive of father’s rights, women’s empowerment, as well as improving the levels of sex education in schools and addressing the issues of domestic violence and awareness amongst women of their legal rights; the discussion also stressed the need to change Article 154 (171) dealing with ‘acts against nature’ in the TCC and the gender pay gap.

“These issues were clustered according to theme and prioritised. The list will point the team towards those matters that will be lobbied for first.

“In looking at the Gender and Diversity SWOT analysis results, one realises how much work has been done to date by dedicated individuals, groups and organisations but also how much work still remains to be conducted.

“To follow up, the Engage team will be seeking out the points of view and feedback of people in rural areas across the island on the issues prioritised and at the same time the team will be taking in hand the most important problems related to gender and diversity in these areas.”

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The Peace Exchange thanks Jale, and hopes many more from the Peace it Together network will follow in her footsteps – after all, this is your blog, and is meant to be a place to share, update and exchange!

That’s all for this time, but join us again for more good stuff very soon – and if you have a post to share, please let us know!